Split draft gear key



Feb. l0, 1970 C. A. M. SMITH SPLIT DRAFT GEAR KEY Filed 0G13. 23, 1967 IN VE/vron.

United States Patent O SPLIT DRAFT GEAR KEY Chester Albert Marson Smith, Cumberland, Ontario Canada, assigner to Canadian Patents and Development Limited, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, a corporation of C anada Filed Oct. 23, 1967, Ser. No. 677,449 ClaimsV priority, application Canada, Sept. 12, 1967,

999,918 Int. Cl. B61g 9/00, 7/10, 9/20 U.S. Cl. 213-69 2 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a split draft gear key and in particular to a split draft gear key and a retainer usable in draft rigging in railway cars and the like.

Conventional draft riggings provide for a draft gear key which retains the coupling group of a railway car in the yoke thereof. Such keys do not provide for means for adjusting slack in the rigging nor in facilitating removal and installation of the gear so that the coupling and yoke may be readily dismantled for repair and then reassembled.

With increasing costs of transportation, reduction of damage to cargo becomes a very important consideration especially as the types of cargo become more sophisticates. It is known that if slack in railway couplings could be reduced the inertial shocks to which cars and cargo are subjected during the starting and running of long trains, commonly known as train action, would also be reduced.

The invention therefore achieves a key which may be adjusted in vlwidth to reduce slack which normally exists between yoke, draft gear, and coupling group.

The invention contemplates a split draft gear for cooperation with a yoke coupler group, said split draft gear key comprising two flat members, each member having a longitudinal serrated edge adapted to cooperate with that of the other member, said members adapted slidably engage each other along said serrations, whereby the relative position of the members alters the effective width of the key, and means for restraining the members in such relative position.

The embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the split draft gear key.

FIGURE 2 shows the key installed in plan view.

Referring to FIGURE 1 a split draft gear key includes two flat longitudinal members 12 and 13 each having cooperating serrations 14 along one edge thereof. Each member 12 and 13 has a butt 16 and 17 welded into one end thereof while the other ends thereofV are tapered and rounded. Near the tapered ends, serially disposed slots 19 and 18 break the margins of the end serrations 20 and 21. The slots 18 are serially disposed closer together than those of slots 19 in a Vernier-like manner; for example, slots 18 are disposed at 1 center to center and those of slots 19 at 11A".

A retainer 23 is adapted to extend into adjacently disposed slots, for example, slots 18e and 19d, see FIGURE 2 to restrain the members 12 and 13 in relative displaced positions one to another. The retainer 23 includes a pair of enlarged edge portions in the form of two rods 24 welded along abutting margins; a head 25 welded on one end and an aperture 26 through the rods 24 at the other end. The retainer 23 Iwhen set into adjacent disposed slots is restrained therein by a cotter pin 27 extending through the aperture 26. A washer 29 may be used to ensure that the pin 27 is not sheared by the retainer 23. It is now apparent that by movement of member 12 relative to member 13, the lateral serrations bear against each oiier to increase the effective width of the key. At each 1A relative displacement of the members a pair of adjacently disposed slots will exist in margins 19 and 20 enabling the retainner 23 to be placed therethrough. Preferably, in order to accommodate variation in the elective width the serrations are such that one set of margins 28 thereof are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the members 12 and 13 while the other set of parallel margins are inclined slightly to the longitudinal axis, `for example margins 20 and 21 and the corresponding parallel margins that are associated with serrations 14 are inclined at acute angles to the axis of members 12 and 13.

Referring to FIGURE l, the slots 18 and 19 are enlarged inwardly and the retainer 23 has a pair of enlarged edge portions 24, the shape of which conform with that of the slots 18 and 19. One edge portion 24 is inserted into the slot 18 of one member while the other edge portion 24 is inserted into au adjacently disposed slot 19 of the other member. The retainer thus prevents the separation of the members and the possible escape of the retainer from the slots, if the slot 30 should wear to become considerably larger than the width of the key 11.

Referring to FIGURE 2 the split -gear 11 extends through the aperture 30 of a yoke 31 and an aperture 32 of a coupler-group 33 to hold the coupler-group 33 including a draft gear 34 and a follower 35 as well as yoke 31 in substantially slack free relation. If through wear, the effective size of the apertures 30 and 32 increase as by wear on the mating surfaces between the yoke 31, the coupler 33 the draft gear 34, the follower 35 and the draft key 11, by removing the retainer 23 from the adjacent slots 18 and 19 the relative positions of the members 12 and 13 may be altered, as by driving member 13 further into the key slot. This causes other of the slots 18 and 19 to become adjacently disposed permitting insertion of the retainer 23 therein. On the other hand, if the key is to be removed, the member 13 is driven relative to member 12 by hitting surface 15.

In order to facilitate insertion of the key into the apertures 30 and 32, the inserted end of the members may be tapered. Butts 16 and 17 are welded to the other end to limit insertion distance and to facilitate the driving of the key or members thereof by hammering.

The embodiments of the invention in which an eX- clusive property or privilege is claimed are dened as follows:

1. A draft gear key comprising two cooperating members each having a longitudinal serrated edge and a series of inwardly enlarged slots disposed along said serrated edge, the serrated edge of one member cooperating with the serrated edge of the other member whereby relative longitudinal displacement of the members alters the effective Width of said key, a retainer for inserting into a pair of adjacently disposed slots to position said members, said retainer having a pair of enlarged edge portions conforming with and receivable by the adjacently disposed pair of inwardly enlarged slots for preventing separation of said members, and wherein the slots of one member are spaced closer than that of the other member to provide Vernier-like adjustment of said members.

2. The key of claim 1 wherein said serrated edge comprises a series of parallel margins inclined at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the key.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS DRAYTON E. HOFFMAN, Primary Examiner ies- 79; 213-505 U.S. Cl. X.R. 

